The Cat Behind the Hat

The Cat Behind the Hat

An exuberant and beautifully produced book that juxtaposes the "Secret Art" of Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), one of the most beloved children’s authors of all time, with his iconic illustrations for children.

This comprehensive look at the breadth of art that Theodor Geisel created over his lifetime is an eye-opening peek behind the public persona into the real story of the man who was Dr. Seuss.

This volume exuberantly contrasts Geisel’s “Midnight Paintings” with his best-loved children’s books, mirroring the manner in which Dr. Seuss constructed his creative life—his days devoted to literature for children, his nights to letting his mind and palette wander to even stranger shores. Inevitably, Geisel created images in his private artworks that would find their way into his literary projects. Though he fiercely protected his “Secret Art” from criticism during his lifetime, his intention all along was for these works to be seen when he was gone.

It is downright absurd to make an art book on Dr. Seuss that attempts a straight chronology on the life and work of this multitalented author, illustrator, painter, sculptor, political cartoonist, adman, doodler, practical joker, and "Cat Behind the Hat". Chronology is, in this case, an elusive term. His life meanders between so many facets of artistic impulses, with images cross-pollinating over years and even decades, that the timeline of his life is as dippy and curved as the architectural elements of a house in Who-ville